Many forgoing SAT, path to college

[ckramer]

In a fourth of the state's high schools, less than 60 percent of seniors took the SAT last year, with the rest cutting themselves off from the chance to gain admission to most US colleges.

The findings, based on a Globe review of state records, come as other states are putting a greater emphasis on the SAT or ACT college entrance exams, with some making one of them mandatory. Education officials in states such as Maine, which for the first time last spring required all juniors to take the SAT , worry that a fixation on other standardized exams has obscured the need to push students to take the college entrance test and pursue higher education.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/12/25/many_forgoing_sat_path_to_college/

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For the cost factor, you lose if you go to college; you lose if you don't.

What a great world we are living in!

[Igel]

1. Maine required *all* students to take the SAT?

It's hard enough comparing average test scores from year to year.

But re: your post. Not everybody wants or should go to college; but even for those that do or should, the SATs aren't the only path to admission. Not all schools requires the SAT, it's possible some kids took the ACT instead; and, in fact, not all schools require one or the other, there are some that accept them but don't require them. Moreover, there's no requirement that they be taken in your junior year; if you flaked out for a year or two in high school, waiting until you're 19 or 20 might be a better option.

I'm not up on transfer requirements; in Oregon in the '80s if you had a certain number of community college credits the SAT wasn't a requirement. If I were a senior with mediocre grades and wanted to go to a decent school it might be the case the SATs would do me no good. I might be better off going to a community college for a few years part-time, then transfer: overall lower amount spent on school, more convenient with work schedules, etc., etc.

In the '90s a lot of UCLA students that were "disadvantaged" (lic. the proper ethnicity/race) got in as transfer students; they had too much money to qualify for lots of aid, but no so much that they could attend without aid; and often their grades or SATs were too low. "Non-traditional" students were a big deal in the '90s, and still are.

[Mend]

2. I think the ACT is a better test, especially for kids with learning

differences and/or ADD. I think it more closely measures a kid's ability than the SAT.

[robcon]

3. If the author thinks all high schoolers should be headed for college

I think he isn't facing up to the ones who do not graduate (e.g. D average), who drop out and who are not interested in college.